Regional Hip and Knee Replacement Program

Regional Hip and Knee Replacement Program

The Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) is pleased to announce the creation of a Regional Hip and Knee Replacement Program

This program seeks to improve access to timely assessment services for possible primary hip and knee replacement surgery in the Champlain LHIN, utilizing a regional central intake referral processing site and multidisciplinary assessment teams based at four assessment centres: Cornwall Community Hospital, Hôpital Montfort, the Queensway Carleton Hospital and The Ottawa Hospital.

Beginning January 4, 2010, referrals will be sent directly to the regional central intake centre, rather than to individual orthopaedic surgeon offices. The referring physician and patient may choose services from a specific hospital, a specific surgeon or from the next available hospital/surgeon. All services are available in both English and French.

Once processed, the referral will be sent to the appropriate Assessment Centre. Here, the patient will be seen by an assessor who is specially trained by the orthopaedic surgeon to conduct a comprehensive physical assessment to confirm the need for surgeon consult. The goal is to ensure that each patient is assessed promptly after referral, managed proactively and triaged to a surgeon based on urgency and appointment available. The role of the assessor is intended to reduce the time spent by orthopaedic surgeons seeing new patients who are not surgical candidates and to develop timely non-surgical treatment plans for these patients. Patients deemed appropriate for a surgeon consult will be referred to the surgeon of their choice or to the next available surgeon, and an appointment will be booked. Patients deemed not appropriate for surgeon consult will be sent back to the referring physician with recommendations for non-surgical management.

For more information or to obtain referral forms, please call the Regional Central Intake Centre at (613) 721-7890 or visit our website, Referral forms should be faxed to (613) 721-7889.